Cigarette extinguisher



Se t. 28, 1954 A. D. CAMPBELL CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER Filed June 12, 1953 FIG. i.

INVENTOR AVERY D. CAMPBELL BY %FWW fla/ra loan ATTORNEY} Patented Sept. 28, 1954 UNITED STAT NT GFFECE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a device adapted to serve as an ashtray, and having means associated therewith for extinguishing a cigarette after the cigarette has been smoked to the desired extent.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character referred to wherein the cigarette extinguishing means is rotatably mounted upon the center portion of the cigarette-receiving receptacle, said means being shiftable to selected positions for extinguishing cigarettes supported atdifferent locations about the periphery of the receptacle.

Another object of importance is to provide adevice as described wherein the cigarette extinguishing means will comprise a relatively elongated bar rotatably mounted at its mid-length point for rotary movement within a horizontal plane, said bar being rotatably adjustable to dispose the ends thereof in proximity to cigarette supporting means provided upon the marginal portion of the receptacle on which the bar is mounted, the device being so designed as to permit the bar to be rocked in the direction of its length in each position to which it is rotatably adjusted, thereby to dispose the bar in position for extinguishing the supported cigarette.

Another object of importance is to provide a construction in a cigarette extinguishing device wherein the bar, when rocked upwardly, and then rocked downwardly, will cause the lit end of the cigarette to be squeezed between the underside of the bar and the bottom surface of the receptacle, to insure that the cigarette will be positively and quickly extinguished.

Another object of importance is to provide a device as stated wherein the extinguishing means will not interfere with normal use of the device as an ashtray.

Yet another object is to provide a cigarette extinguishing device combined with an ashtray which can be manufactured at little increase in cost above that required for manufacturing an ashtray not having the extinguishing means constituting the present invention.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan View;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1, the dotted lines indicating a position to which the extinguishing bar can be rocked; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of Figure 1.

The reference numeral It has been applied generally in the drawing to designate the stationary part of the assembly, the reference numeral l2 being similarly applied to designate the movable part of the device. The stationary part of the invention is shaped as a receptacle, said receptacle being of square outer configuration in the illustrated example, with rounded corners. It is believed, in this connection, that the outer configuration of the receptacle can be varied as desired, and quite possibly, it might be desired to manufacture the device with a circular shape.

The receptacle iii includes a plane bottom M which merges with an upwardly arched or concave-convex center portion It. The plane portion of the receptacle bottom is integral at its outer edge with an upstanding peripheral flange l8 of inverted U shape as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The flange 18, at selected locations about the periphery of the device, has transverse recesses 20, providing seats for cigarettes; it being understood that the lit ends of the cigarettes would be disposed inwardly of the flange, over the receptacle bottom.

Integrally formed upon the crown portion or center point of the concavo-convex center portion It of the receptacle bottom is an upstanding boss 22, having a vertically disposed, smooth walled opening 24 formed therein, the opening communicating between the upper and bottom surfaces of the receptacle bottom. A screw 26 is extended through the opening 24, and threaded upon the bottom end of the screw is a nut 28.

The movable part of the assembly is formed as an elongated bar of solid formation and being formed, medially between its ends, with a relatively short longitudinal slot 30. The slot 30 is adapted to receive the shank of the screw 25, the head of the screw projecting above the slot and being provided with a washer to reduce friction during rotation of the extinguishing bar l2.

The underside of the extinguishing bar is curved for its full length complementarily to the curvature of the concavo-convex center portion it of the receptacle bottom. The curved underside of the extinguishing bar is spaced above the upper surface of the center portion l6 by reason of the boss 22, which serves as a spacer between the extinguishing bar and the receptacle bottom.

In use of the device, the extinguishing bar would normally be rotated to a position in which it will not interfere with functioning of the receptacle [0 as a conventional ashtray. When,

however, it is desired to extinguish a cigarette,

it is merely necessary that the extinguishing bar I2 be rotated to a position in which one end thereof is disposed adjacent the recess 20 in which the cigarette is disposed. Immediately before reaching this position, the extinguishing bar would be rocked upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2, the slot 30 adapting the bar for rocking movement upon the screw 26. Then, with that end of the bar I2 which is nearer the cigarette in an elevated position, the bar 12 is rotated until the raised end is disposed above the lit end of the cigarette. The elevated end of the bar is now shifted downwardly, thus causing the lit end of the cigarette to be squeezed between the underside of the bar and the concaveconvex center portion of the receptacle. The cigarette is thus extinguished with ease and speed.

By reference to Figure 2, it will be observed that the bottom surface of recess 20 lies in a horizontal plane passing through the convex upper surface of center portion I6 at a location on said surface between the crest and periphery of the center portion. As a result, a cigarette may be supported within the recess horizontally, with the lit end of the cigarette in contact with the convex surface of the center portion, and the other end of the cigarette seated on the bottom surface of the recess. The lit end of the cigarette will, as will be appreciated, under these circumstances be in contact with the center portion at a location thereon aligned radially of the center portion with the bottom surface of the recess. Said location will be spaced inwardly of the receptacle from the inner end of the recess a horizontal distance greater than the distance between said inner end of the recess and the adjacent end of the bar I 2. In other words, the length of the bar i2 is such as to cause said bar to be disposed over the lit end of a cigarette when the cigarette is horizontally supported in the manner described. Downward rocking of the bar I2 will thus crush the lit end, by reason of the complementary curvatures of the center portion and underside of the bar, the cigarette remaining horizontally supported both during and after the extinguishing operation.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended 4 to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A cigarette ash tray and extinguisher comprising a receptacle having a bottom formed with a center portion having a convex upper surface, said receptacle including an upwardly extending peripheral flange having at least one horizontal- 1y extending cigarette-receiving recess disposed radially of the center portion, the bottom surface of said recess lying in a horizontal plane passing through the convex surface between the crest and periphery thereof at a location thereon aligned radially of the center portion with the bottom surface of the recess and adapted to be contacted by the lit end of a cigarette horizontally supported in the recess and extending inwardly of the receptacle beyond the inner end of the recess; an extinguishing bar rotatably and centrally mounted on the center portion for adjustment to a position in which the bar is aligned radially with the longitudinal axis of the recess, the bar being rockable on the center portion about a horizontal axis for successively rocking one end of the bar upwardly to a position above said lit end and then downwardly against the lit end to crush the lit end against the convex surface, the bar terminating at said end thereof at a location between the inner end of the recess and the location on the center portion aligned with the longitudinal axis of the bottom surface of the recess, the bar being formed with a concaved underside complementing the convexity of the center portion, thus to locate said end of the bar above the lit cigarette end for extinguishment thereof while the cigarette remains horizontally supported in contact with the convex surface of the center portion and the bottom surface of the recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,573,678 Crawford Feb. 16, 1926 1,750,164 Ducas Mar. 11, 1930 1,882,973 Schlegel Oct. 18, 1932 1,950,657 Burton Mar. 13, 1934 2,082,072 McCreary June 1, 1937 

